My wife and I had a great bowl of pasta on a Sunday night after a concert at Vespaio. She has had a few business meals there and was very pleased. We also had a pretty good dinner at Otium in December. I think both places do lunch. Nearby are Kendall's and Patina. My Mrs says both are decent.

She knows the area pretty well because she works in the County Office across the street.

Republique definitely has heterogenous levels of service, especially if you don't eat there often. I think they tend to give their regular customers the A team and better seating. The food is uniformly great IMO though.

The grilled cabbage at Charcoal is a favorite. I avoid DineLA because more times than not the participating restaurants are jammed, the kitchens are overwhelmed, and the food isn't very good. Or, more precisely, the food at restaurants I like isn't as good during DineLA as it is when it isn't DineLa. The go-to steaks at Charcoal are the house-aged Porterhouse and Ribeye, cut large to share.

My son and his friends went to APL a week ago and loved it. I'm going to go soon.

Let me know when...I can give you a tour the dry-aging. Serving some 1+ year dry aged stuff now that is very interesting.

If anyone is looking to do DineLA, the offering at Charcoal is always one of the best.

We were there this past Saturday evening. We chose the DineLA menu, and certainly nobody complained about the value. Aside from not getting serving utensils with the shared appetizer plates, there was really only one dish that was truly memorable--the grilled cabbage appetizer. The salmon and steak were OK, the salmon tasted wild caught but the steak was unremarkable--we eat very, VERY well at home, preparing these fairly often, so our group rated it only as "meh". There will undoubtedly be numerous efforts to recreate that grilled cabbage dish though.

I can see that, though we seem to like everything a bit more than you did. I was mostly commenting that their DineLA is a decent value, has more dishes, and has some of their best things. Agree about the cabbage, we’ve tried it at home. But I agree that Charcoal is one of those places that is not particularly creative or unique, and one can make similar things at home. But they DO use good ingredients and do it well. I kind of feel the same way about Craft, and actually don’t order a straight-up steak at restaurants much. They do have some nice cuts available at a Charcoal, and duck.

Ironically, I had a DineLA dinner at Ruth Chris last night and had a steak. 16oz. Ribeye. It was good and the “deal” basically got one the salad and the dessert for free. That works out better than most DineLA options. Patina actually does pretty well for DineLA as it’s a way to get a nice meal there for significantly less $,and it isn’t crowded.

The grilled cabbage at Charcoal is a favorite. I avoid DineLA because more times than not the participating restaurants are jammed, the kitchens are overwhelmed, and the food isn't very good. Or, more precisely, the food at restaurants I like isn't as good during DineLA as it is when it isn't DineLa. The go-to steaks at Charcoal are the house-aged Porterhouse and Ribeye, cut large to share.

My son and his friends went to APL a week ago and loved it. I'm going to go soon.

Let me know when...I can give you a tour the dry-aging. Serving some 1+ year dry aged stuff now that is very interesting.

Saul,
I’ll let you know when. Michael enjoyed the tour and loved the 1 year+ dry aged steak. He is a big fan of APL. Small world.

If anyone is looking to do DineLA, the offering at Charcoal is always one of the best.

We were there this past Saturday evening. We chose the DineLA menu, and certainly nobody complained about the value. Aside from not getting serving utensils with the shared appetizer plates, there was really only one dish that was truly memorable--the grilled cabbage appetizer. The salmon and steak were OK, the salmon tasted wild caught but the steak was unremarkable--we eat very, VERY well at home, preparing these fairly often, so our group rated it only as "meh". There will undoubtedly be numerous efforts to recreate that grilled cabbage dish though.

I can see that, though we seem to like everything a bit more than you did. I was mostly commenting that their DineLA is a decent value, has more dishes, and has some of their best things. Agree about the cabbage, we’ve tried it at home. But I agree that Charcoal is one of those places that is not particularly creative or unique, and one can make similar things at home. But they DO use good ingredients and do it well. I kind of feel the same way about Craft, and actually don’t order a straight-up steak at restaurants much. They do have some nice cuts available at a Charcoal, and duck.

Ironically, I had a DineLA dinner at Ruth Chris last night and had a steak. 16oz. Ribeye. It was good and the “deal” basically got one the salad and the dessert for free. That works out better than most DineLA options. Patina actually does pretty well for DineLA as it’s a way to get a nice meal there for significantly less $,and it isn’t crowded.

Now duck is something we don't do at home, and it it were on the menu as an option, we most certainly would have tried it.

We were at Santuari in Toluca Lake last night and it was quite impressive (sharing facilities with the Toluca Lake Tennis & Fitness Club). $15 corkage as I recall, so we will bring some winos there in the near future. The meal and service were both very good, but the desserts were just incredible--my wife is a dessert snob and she quite liked them both.

I don’t think he got the 1-year as just started this week. When he was there was probably 150-180 day ‘103’ ribeye

That's what we had when we were there a few months ago. Got to meet Mr. APL himself too! No tour of the dry ageing room though.
It's crazy expensive, but that would be one hell of a place to have a gathering.

Went to Otoño in Highland Park on Friday. Cool space with a nice long bar, fun vibe, and music at an appropriate volume for conversation. Cocktails and wine list are great. My wife had this butter rum drink that made we want to slip inside it and live there. Plenty of bottles in the $30-$60 range and Txakolina on tap. They had an 82' Muga Crianza for $180 which just seems like it's there so they have 1 old Rioja but generally speaking the wine list is awesome, diverse and well priced. Food was hit and miss. Pan con tomate was delicious; shiny, unctuous orbs of tomato on generously garlic-rubbed crusty bread. Gambas a la plancha were meaty and succulent. The shells almost dissolving on the tongue. Their take on patatas bravas came in churro form which was like a delicious, crispy tube of fatty, paprika bathed potato. Mushroom paella was over salted and dry and the green tea broth it was cooked in gave it a harsh tannic quality. Croquettas were not the right flavor or texture and were incredibly salty. The Bone Marrow with smoked oyster butter was so rich, salty and over-the-top it was impossible to finish. If we lived closer I could see stopping by for the pan con tomate, gambas and a glass of txakoli but it's not worth the trek for a second visit. My feeling is that there is this tendency in LA that the menu needs to be over f*ck with to be interesting and Basque food isn't something that needs green tea broth or black garlic saffron anything to be good. Otoño shines with the dishes that are the simplest.

I will be seeing a show at the Matrix theater (Sunday matiness), which is on Melrose 5 blocks east of Fairfax.

A couple of obvious choices are AOC and Angelini Osteria. I have enjoyed them both, but haven't been in to either over 10 years. AOC is more suitable to my New Year's resolutions (, but if one or the other is clearly better these days, or a third option (that has a lot of choice for vegetarians), then I'd love to hear opinions. (Wine list or corkage not that important as it's an early Sunday meal with a longish drive afterwards).

I will be seeing a show at the Matrix theater (Sunday matiness), which is on Melrose 5 blocks east of Fairfax.

You're within five minutes of many good restaurants. Besides those that have already been mentioned, I quickly think of Petit Trois, Osteria Mozza, Pizzeria Mozza, Lucques, Petty Cash Taqueria, Meals by Genet, and Rosaliné.

In the little moment that remains to us between the crisis and the catastrophe,...

Going there for dinner Sunday night. Not sure where else this week. Maybe Factory Kitchen and Otono.

I love Factory Kitchen. Of the 15+ times I’ve gone, I have ordered the mandilli every single time. It is so simple, but so tasty. I am also a fan of getting the cansonzei or modenesi. The porchetta is different, a little fatty, but good. If you speak with the chef, Angelo, tell him you’re in the wine crowd with John and Mary Gonzales. Though I think he’s working mostly in their new spot at Venetian this month.

My two, need to go places downtown are Dama and Bavel. You could try and get to Howlin’ Ray’s for wait-in-line Tennessee spicy fried chicken, but must be off-hours. If you’ve never had Filipino food, Lasa is right there near Howlin Rays in Chinatown. I assume you’ve been to Langer’s? If not, it’s a short 1.5 miles west of downtown and a classic deli with great pastrami.

Wow. Thanks John. I appreciate the information. I have been visiting LA every 6 weeks or so. My wife is on a project at the LA county assessors office, been 2 and a half years now. She went to Factory Kitchen a couple of weeks ago and she liked the food. Also her admin really liked Dama. That Fashion District though. Does it get better a few blocks past 7th? I did buy a jacket at Roger Stuart though.

Wow. Thanks John. I appreciate the information. I have been visiting LA every 6 weeks or so. My wife is on a project at the LA county assessors office, been 2 and a half years now. She went to Factory Kitchen a couple of weeks ago and she liked the food. Also her admin really liked Dama. That Fashion District though. Does it get better a few blocks past 7th? I did buy a jacket at Roger Stuart though.

Hey, ask your wife if she knows Jeffrey Prang. He is the county assessor, and one of my neighbors.
Fashion District is really just starting to change, gentrify whatever. It isn’t pretty, but probably not really dangerous. I assume you’ve been to Bestia. It’s kind of loud and hipster, but the food is really good. The chef owner is the same as Bavel, he sat at the table next to us last night at the Super-aged steak dinner at APL. I also like Orsa & Winston. It’s expensive and it could have a bit of a nicer room, but we’ve had two good tasting menu meals there. Guerilla Tacos has a brick and mortar now on 7th in the Arts District.

Wow. Thanks John. I appreciate the information. I have been visiting LA every 6 weeks or so. My wife is on a project at the LA county assessors office, been 2 and a half years now. She went to Factory Kitchen a couple of weeks ago and she liked the food. Also her admin really liked Dama. That Fashion District though. Does it get better a few blocks past 7th? I did buy a jacket at Roger Stuart though.

David: We have been to Dama a couple of times and really enjoyed it. Excellent food and service. Give it a try!

Ironically, I had a DineLA dinner at Ruth Chris last night and had a steak. 16oz. Ribeye. It was good and the “deal” basically got one the salad and the dessert for free. That works out better than most DineLA options.

Wife and I did a DinePasadena at Ruth Chris and had a very nice meal. I'm actually a Del Frisco's man but wife set this up as a surprise date night.

Still curious, is AOC still doing it's thing well? Don't hear it mentioned much anymore.

We had a very good time at AOC last night. We sat in the courtyard, love the ambience. They had a few albarinos by the glass, the one we had was great, also had as bottle of Colombier Crozes (2016). It was a solid 93 for me.

Best dishes were the Spanish Fried Chicken, Arroz Negro and the Carrot Salad.

We had a very good time at AOC last night. We sat in the courtyard, love the ambience. They had a few albarinos by the glass, the one we had was great, also had as bottle of Colombier Crozes (2016). It was a solid 93 for me.

Best dishes were the Spanish Fried Chicken, Arroz Negro and the Carrot Salad.

Their Spanish Fried Chicken is one of my favorite fried chicken dishes in the city. Having lunch in A.O.C.'s outdoor courtyard, especially on a sunny, slightly warm afternoon, and eating their fried chicken with Champagne is not a bad way to spend some time.

In the little moment that remains to us between the crisis and the catastrophe,...

Melisse is serving its final meal on Saturday. It’s not in vogue, but I’ve had some really good meals there. Tempted to squeeze in a final tasting menu, but have another big dinner Saturday.

We have had some very nice meals at Melisse over the years. Last time we went (2 years ago maybe) the food and the space did feel a bit tired. I wonder if Josiah will try a different high end concept at some point in the future.

Melisse is serving its final meal on Saturday. It’s not in vogue, but I’ve had some really good meals there. Tempted to squeeze in a final tasting menu, but have another big dinner Saturday.

We have had some very nice meals at Melisse over the years. Last time we went (2 years ago maybe) the food and the space did feel a bit tired. I wonder if Josiah will try a different high end concept at some point in the future.

I felt like Melisse did get a little tired at the end. That was surprising because he really is a skilled chef and it showed when one did the carte Blanche chef’s menu, where he showed his creativity a bit. It was surprising that the main menu stayed somewhat stagnant. I actually understand that the room was differently and somewhat old-school. I still really appreciated it. Spacious tables, nicely spaced out, with tablecloths and nice chairs. Very nice tableware. No loud music and tons of soft surfaces to minimize sound. Compared to many places it sounded dead and not vibrant, but really, why is noise a good thing when one is dining? Real fine-dining is unfortunately almost extinct. Says the old guy.

I believe Josiah has decided to redo the space and re-open. He hasn’t confirmed what’s style only that it will be less formal. Hopefully it will be fancier than what he does at Charcoal.

Went to Kali, enjoyed it but didn't quite have the spark I was hoping for. If it was my neighborhood place, I'd love it, but didn't seem worth driving crosstown for. The beetroot tartare was a wow, the rest was tasty but not worth driving crosstown for. Perhaps if I ordered the Flannery, but steak is not really my thing.

Went to Kali, enjoyed it but didn't quite have the spark I was hoping for. If it was my neighborhood place, I'd love it, but didn't seem worth driving crosstown for. The beetroot tartare was a wow, the rest was tasty but not worth driving crosstown for. Perhaps if I ordered the Flannery, but steak is not really my thing.

I'd go back happily if I was nearby.

I eat at Kali quite often and it is one of my favorite restaurants in town. In my opinion it is not the kind of place where you should order a la carte the first time you go. You need to do either of the tasting menus to understand what the food is all about there before you pick and choose off the menu on your own. Also, it was a huge mistake not ordering the Flannery as they have what I consider to be my favorite steaks in town. Not to mention their dry aged duck, lamb, and Bresse chickens are also phenomenal. The execution of their seafood dishes is also outstanding. I say go again (maybe in the spring or summer when the menu changes) so you get to try new stuff and give it another chance.

Went to Kali, enjoyed it but didn't quite have the spark I was hoping for. If it was my neighborhood place, I'd love it, but didn't seem worth driving crosstown for. The beetroot tartare was a wow, the rest was tasty but not worth driving crosstown for. Perhaps if I ordered the Flannery, but steak is not really my thing. (I’ve since heard from one of my companions that the short ribs were dry and tough).

I'd go back happily if I was nearby.

I eat at Kali quite often and it is one of my favorite restaurants in town. In my opinion it is not the kind of place where you should order a la carte the first time you go. You need to do either of the tasting menus to understand what the food is all about there before you pick and choose off the menu on your own. Also, it was a huge mistake not ordering the Flannery as they have what I consider to be my favorite steaks in town. Not to mention their dry aged duck, lamb, and Bresse chickens are also phenomenal. The execution of their seafood dishes is also outstanding. I say go again (maybe in the spring or summer when the menu changes) so you get to try new stuff and give it another chance.

I don't eat much meat, so perhaps the chicken (would never order the duck, nor probably the lamb).. I had the black cod, it was fairly straight ahead preparation, I liked it but it wasn't anything I couldn't do at home (in retrospect, it was like there should have been an accompanying sauce, but they forgot it). It may be too meat oriented for my taste, there was only one fish entree. Pasta with sea urchin was a disappointment. Barley risotto was ok. . Beetroot tartare was excellent (the one dish that drew comments), charred avocado was very good, oysters were good, soup was good, cheese was excellent, yellowtail crudo was good but not great. So I got to try quite a few dishes.

It was 2/3 empty, while a place I never heard of, down the block, Osteria Mamma was packed, on a Sunday night. I felt bad for Kali as I would have thought Sunday to be a bigger night for them. I'd be open to the tasting menu next time (assuming they could give me a fish main course). As I said, I enjoy the style because it was healthy eating with high quality ingredients and imaginative combinations. If I go back, I won't go on a Sunday (a restaurant should be great every day they are open, but urban myth is all the good chefs are off on Sunday).

The cassoulet at Lucques was very enjoyable, and they have a very good bar program.

Kass, by Christophe Eme (formerly had a restaurant called Ortolan), in mid city, was a great experience. Quiet and comfortable atmosphere, friendly service, and an open kitchen where the chef and his staff are clearly visible working very hard, and open to interaction with guests. The food is classic French in technique but lighter, less creamy sauces/foams than Melisse for example. Very wine friendly fare. Their wine list is a very well curated 2 pages, all interesting small producers (they don’t have a website). Corkage $35 per for the first two, and then $50 after. Highly recommend it for people on this board.

Had a great experience checking out Dopolavoro, the small wine/food market next to Terroni in dtla. Some amazing canned goods, cheeses, etc., that look directly imported from Europe. The wine selection was shockingly good, ranging from Burg to Eben Sadie, Loire and German, with select Cali producers like Folk Machine, Pax, Arnot Roberts. I was curious and looked it up after, and it looks like it’s overseen by Max Stefanelli from Terroni. Either way, a fun visit, especially if you do it after visiting La Tropézienne around the corner for baguettes/croissants and pastries.

+1 on Kass, nice food. Didn't look at the wine list too much since we brought our own.

Totally agree with you as well on the Dopolavoro wine selections, very point and shoot. Prices are not great, but I suppose that's the tradeoff for having someting like that at your fingertips in DTLA. Kind of like a mini-Eataly but with lots of French wine too.